Sunday, September 09, 2012

Hundreds of story books for children available for free download on internet

Positive news regarding Urdu is coming from all corners in India. The latest is the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language ie NCPUL's step to put Urdu books online.

Firstly, what has gladdened me is that hundreds of children's books have been put up for free AT THIS LINK.

Under the category Adab-e-Atfaal or Children's Literature, there are illustrated, neatly printed books for kids of all ages. So if you are a lazy person who doesn't want to subscribe a magazine or find a bookshop to buy kids' books, you can download them, get the pages bound and gift the books to your child.

This will develop interest towards reading among the kids. You can't say that there isn't enough material for children in Urdu. The dynamic website now has complete Urdu encyclopaedia online apart from books ranging from literature to philosophy, medicines to NCERT Urdu medium school curriculum texts and history to arts in the Urdu Digital Library link, where books are being added regularly.

NCPUL expands its online operations

Secondly, they have now the online Urdu learning course AT THIS LINK. This is apart from Urdu digital learning, the complete and famous Urdu Encycopaedia.

For a long time, this website had just the monthly magazine and its literary journal available.

But now the plan is to enhance the site and put up thousands of Urdu books on the site.

Till now many of us relied on the website dli.ernet.in for reading old texts and rare manuscripts in different Indian languages. The new NCPUL project seems heading in the right direction.

Sincere thanks to NCPUL team including Council chairman, the HRD Miniser Kapil Sibal, Professor Wasim Barelvi, Director Khwaja Mohammad Ikramuddin and the many faceless people behind the scene for their dedication and sincere work.

There was a time when I wrote this post, 'No cartoons, comics for Urdu speaking children'. That was seven months back and I'd mentioned the name of NCPUL in the article then. Soon Syed Mukarram Niyaz came up with his website www.urdukidzcartoon.com.

Dr Khwaja Ekramuddin

This was a major step. An individual's effort which is now being recognised across the world. Now an institution, NCPUL, has taken the lead. Besides, good news is coming from different places in the country also.

Either its the issue of delayed publication of Urdu text books, which has been now rectified to an extent with NCERT putting books online or heartening news like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) launching Urdu learning software that can teach people, particularly, elders in 40 hrs.

This is part of the drive against illiteracy. Opening of Urdu schools in MP, UP and appointment of teachers promised by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Bihar [he has promised that Urdu will be taught in all primary schools across Bihar] are all good signs.

This shows that 'tassub' or bias towards language has come down significantly. No one opposes Urdu now. Now there are more than 15 Urdu Academies functioning from Haryana to Tamil Nadu and Gujarat to West Bengal.

There are many more good stories like the big project of publishing books on technical and engineering subjects for ITI students (Industrial Training Institutes) that is underway. One can't really put the blame on state governments or centre. Stop blaming them.

From the free lessons to learn language to browsing through the vast treasure of thousands of books, you just need to go to the sites. Now the onus is on you to make use of the facilities and engage with these organisations.

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